Tennis racket



Sept. 15, 1931. J. L. KLEINMAN TENNIS RACKET Filed July 6. 1929 awvemtoz Patented Sept. 15, 1931 PATENT OFFICE JACOB L. KLEINMAN',

TENNIS Application filed July 6,

This invention relates generally to tennis rackets.

An object of the invention is to eliminate openings in the racket at its neck portion.

Another object is to provide reinforcing means for the racket at its neck portion.

Another object is having a racket frame provided with horizontal openings.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the description thereof to follow taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a front view of my improved racket.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view showing some of the parts disassembled.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing the string supporting member disassembled from the frame.

Figure l is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the string supporting member 1n position.

F1gure 5 1s asectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 55 of Figure 4.

. the lowermost horizontal string 13, are secured to the frame in the customary manner through openings.

An important feature of my invention is the unique manner of mounting the lower ends of the vertical strings and the ends of the lowermost horizontal string 13 to the frame so as to avoid the necessity of drilling holes in the bottom portion of the frame thus weakening it.

Formed in the adjacent sections of the frame at its bottom end is a substantially triangular shaped opening 14 and inserted in this opening is a similarly shaped member 14, the upper periphery of said member 14 being shaped to the same curvature as the curvature of the frame. Also positioned in or NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAGKET 1929. Serial No. 376,386.

the frame at the same place is a crescent shaped member 15. The said adjacent frame sections, triangular insert 14: and crescent shaped insert member 15 are formed with aligned slots which form a continuous slot or recess 16 at the neck portion of the racket. These members are oined by means of plugs passing through aligned openings 17 formed therein.

Mounted snugly in the recess 16 is a string supporting member 18, which member is formed with spaced openings 19 adjacent its lower edge which are adapted to register with the openings 17 and is formed with spaced openings 20 adjacent its upper edge for the reception of the ends of the strings. When positioned in the recess 16, the portion formed with the openings 20 extends upwardly from the inner periphery of the frame as shown in Figure 4:. Plugs or pins 21 passing through the aligned openings19 and 17 secure the member 18 to the frame, said plugs or pins 21 being positioned transversely to the direction of the forces and stresses of the parts thereby holding all parts of the frame tightly together.

I have shown all of the vertical strings 12, with the exception of the furthermost two on each end, secured to the member 18, and I have shown the lowermost horizontal string 13 secured thereto but it will be understood that the number of such strings adapted to be secured to, said member will depend upon the size of such member 18. By reason of this construction, the lowermost hole in the racket or frame thereof is at the point indicated at 22, thus eliminating the necessity of drilling holes any further down on the frame. Mounting the insert members 14 and 15 and the string supporting member 18 at the neck portion of the frame also presents a rigid and durable construction at this point which is desirable.

Although I have mentioned in describing my invention of what materials certain parts may be made, yet I desire it to be understood that this racket, or parts thereof, may be made of any suitable material and that various changes in details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and I desire to be limited only by the state of prior art.

By the expression single piece as used in the claims (8, 9, 10 and 11) is meant, not that the frame is made of only one ply or thickness of material, but rather that the portion of the frame defining the playing field and the portions thereof defining the neck section and also the upper part of the handle are integral, i. e., made up of a single bent piece.

I claim:

1. A racket comprising a frame including a throat portion, a handle, strings threaded through the frame and forming vertical and horizontal runs, aligned slots in said frame at said throat portion substantially in the plane of said strings, a member fitting within said slots and bridging said throat portion, 1 and fastening element-s extending through said frame and member transversely to the plane of said strings, said fastening elements extending substantially to the finished surface of the racket so as to be easily accessible for removal.

2. A tennis racket comprising a frame having a throat portion at the bottom thereof, a handle, strings threaded through the frame and forming vertical and horizontal nuns, means bridging the frame at said throat portion, said means and the adjacent portion ofthe frame being provided with alined slots substantially in the plane of said runs, a member fitting within said slots and bridging said throat portion, said member projecting above said bridging means and provided in such projecting portion with a plurality of openings through which certain of said runs are threaded, and fastening elements passing through said, frame and member transversely to the plane of said runs, said fastening elements extending substantially to the finished surface of the racket so as to be easily accessible for removal.

3. A racket comprising a frame, a plurality ofsections forming the neck and handle of said racket, at least two of said sections attached to each other to form a rigid construction, one of said two sections provided with a recessed surface, and the other of such sections provided with a surface of such outline as to fitsnugly within said recessed surface, thereby previding an increased area of contact between such sections, and a fastening element passing through the interfi-tting portions of said two sections transversely to the plane of the face of said racket, said fastening elements extending substantially to the finished surface of the racket so as to be easily accessible for removal.

4. A racket comprising a wooden frame, a plurality of sections forming the neck and handle of said racket, a member connecting at least two of said sections near the upper part of the handle, and fastening elements passing through said member and said sections transversely to the plane of the face of the racket, said fastening elements extending substantially to the finished surface of the racket so as to be easily accessible for removal.

5. In a racket, a wooden frame, sections forming a handle and a neck portion, at least a portion of said sections, near the upper part of the handle, formed with a slot within the inner periphery thereof, a member fitting within said slot and attached to the face thereof, and projecting above said sections, and a fastening element passing through said member and said sections transversely to the plane of the face of the racket,'said fastening elements extending substantially to the finished surface of the racket so as to be easily accessible for removal.

6. In a racket, a wooden frame, sections forming a handle and a neck portion, a member interfitting with certain of said sections, near the upper part of the handle, a fastening element passing through .said member and the interfitting sections, transversely to the plane of the face of said racket, said fastening elements extending substantially to the finished surface of the racket, so as to be easily accessible for removal.

7 In a racket, a wooden frame, sections forming a handle and a neck portion, at least a portion of said sections formed witha slot, near the upper part of the handle, a member fitting within said slot, and a fastening element passing through said sections and said member transversely to the plane of the face of said racket, said fastening elements extending substantially. to the finished surface of the racket, so as to be easily accessible for removal.

8. In a racket, a wooden frame comprising a single piece, said frame provided with end portions, a handle encasing the lower free ends of said portions, strings arranged in vertical and horizontal rows within said frame, a reinforcing member engaging said portions, near the upper part of the handle, and fastening elements passing through said member and said portions substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the face of the racket, said fastening elements extending face of the racket, said fastening elements extending substantially to the finished surface of the racket, so as to be easily accessible for removal.

10. In a racket, a wooden frame comprising a single piece, the ends of said frame forming the main body portions of the neck and handle, sections associated with said portions, near the upper part of the handle, and in planes parallel to the plane of the face of the racket, a reinforcing member likewise being in a plane parallel to the plane of the face of the racket and engaging at least a part of said portions, and fastening elements passing through said member and said portions transversely to the plane of the face of said racket, said fastening elements extending substantially to the finished surface of the racket, so as to be easily accessible for removal.

11. In a racket, a Wooden frame comprising a single piece, the ends of said frame forming the main body portions of the neck and handle, sections associated with said ortions, near the upper part of the hand e, a

. reinforcing member associated with certain of said sections, and fastening elements pass ing through said member and said associated sections transversely to the plane of the face of the racket, said fastening elements eXtend ing substantially to the finished surface of the racket, so as to be easily accessible for removal.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

JACOB L. KLEINMAN. 

